Biopsy needle



April 1940 1. SILVERMAN 2,198,319

BIOPSY NEEDLE Filed Oct. 29, 1958 Patented Apr. 23, 1940 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE BIOPSY NEEDLE Irving Silver-man, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application October 29, 1938, Serial No. 237,720 2 Claims. 01. 120-2)This invention relates to needles of that type generally known in theart as biopsy needles and has particular reference to the provision of aneedle of this type which is certain in its action 8 yet oicomparatively simple construction.

An object of the present invention is to provide a needle oi the typementioned having means for severing a portion oi! the tissue of thehuman body, for instance as embodied in a tumor,

10 whereby the same may be examined for pathological diagnosis.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a space within theneedle for storing the selected tissue and protecting the same while itis being withdrawn from the body of a patient.

Other and further objects of the invention will become apparent from thefollowing specification taken in conjunction with the drawing.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanyi0 ing drawing, formingpart of this specification,

wherein Figure 1 is a side view of a needle embodying I the inventionand illustrating the method of its use, Figure 2 is a like view, partlybroken away, illustrating a further step in the use of the instrument, t

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view of one end of the needle,

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 4-4 of Figure 3and Figure 5 is an enlarged view, partly broken away, of the biopsyneedle.

- Referring more particularly to the drawing,

there is shown therein an instrument embodying my invention andincluding a hypodermic needle in having the customary pointed andbeveled end I l and the usual needle hub i2.

Rotatably and slidably mounted within the customary passage I: of theneedle II is an interior needle having a shank ll adapted to snugly fitwithin the passage l3 and an operating hub It at its'outer-end. Theinner end of the interior needle is split for a goodly portion of its J4 length, i. e., from point to hub, as indicated at It, the two portionsthus formed havinz divergently pointed and beveled inner extremities ii.The split portions of the interior needle are hollowed on their innerfaces, as shown at II in Figures 4 and 5.

, For the purpose oi illustrating the invention,

there has been shown in the drawing a portion ll of a human body havinga tumor 10 therein andg a specimen removed by this instrument is shownat2i in Figures 3 and 4.

In operation, it will be seen that when a physician desires to secure aspecimen of the interior of a suspected portion of a human body, that,after first anesthetizing the skin with novocain or the like, he plungesthe needle ill into the suspected portion until it reaches, for Iexample, the tumor 20. The next step is the insertion of the interiorneedle into the tumor itself in the manner indicated in dotted lines inFigure 1. This action causes the points H, by reason of their beveledextremities, the bevels 10 extending in opposite directions, to bespread apart, thus assuring the inclusion of a specimen of the tumor andthe holding of such specimen therebetween. The next step is the furtherinsertion of the needle it to a point where it en- 1 closes the interiorneedle. This action causes the split portions of the interior needle tobe compressed together, thus firmly enclosing the desired specimen. Bothouter and inner needles are then rotated together, thereby cutting awaythe lower end 01' the specimen. The needles are then withdrawn as a unitand the specimen 2i may be examined at will.

While but one form of the invention has been shown herein, it will bereadily apparent to those skilled in the art that various minormodifications may be made without departing from the spirit of theinvention or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A biopsy needle comprising two members, one slldable within theother, the inner member being split longitudinally with the splitportions thereof substantially straight, and having their extremitiespointed and beveled, the bevels extending in opposite directions,whereby the two split portions, constituting prongs, when inserted intothe mass of tissue, take divergent paths and move from each other so asto readily engage and include-between them a section of the mass, and,upon the advancement of the outer member over such inner member, becomecompressed, firmly grasping and maintaining the included section oftissue between them.

2. In a biopsy instrument, an elongated I needle having a hubpat oneend, a shank, and two elongated and straight prong members having theirfree ends beveled, the bevels extending in opposite directions wherebysaid prong members wheninserted into a mass 01' tissue, take sodivergent paths and move from each other thereby engaging and includingbetween them a sec- .tion of the mass into which they have beeninserted.

IRVING BILVERMAN. ll

